Is Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2009 Topps · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 12× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 sells for $61.96 against $5.15 raw: a $56.81 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.71) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $5.15
- PSA 10
- $61.96
- PSA 9
- $18.71
- Gem premium
- 12×
- As of
- Sep 3, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $61.96 | +$31.81 | +$6.81 | −$93.19 |
| PSA 9 | $18.71 | −$11.44 | −$36.44 | −$136 |
| PSA 8 | $10.72 | −$19.43 | −$44.43 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $5.15 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $29.52 | −$25.63 |
| 50% | $40.34 | −$14.81 |
| 75% | $51.15 | −$4.00 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 84%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $81.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $61.96 | −$19.04 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $37.00 | −$44.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $37.00 | −$44.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
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Grading Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 — FAQ
Is Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 sells for $61.96 against $5.15 raw: a $56.81 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.71) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 (Baseball Cards 2009 Topps) sells for about $61.96 versus $5.15 for a raw near-mint copy — a 12× premium as of Sep 3, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $81.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $61.96. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
What gem rate makes grading Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tim Lincecum [Gold] #78 breaks even when it gems about 84% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.71).
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